Compassion
by Fear My Butterfly Army
Summary: I am helpless as I watch the man attempt to trade his own life for the saftey of his family... I can barely stand as the suel begins... He's Stable...


**A/N: Here is a one-shot to help my writers block for HIWNMO, so yeah…**

**OoOoO**

Watching in helplessness, I see a man throw himself over his children and wife, desperately pleading for the Death Eaters surrounding him to leave them be and take him instead.

I try to move, but my muscles won't react. They won't comply and I am getting desperate. I can't just let the family die. The father is still pleading and I try harder to break my physical restrictions in the state I am.

A cold laugh shatters the man's pleas. He turns a horrified face to the creature standing ominously at the front of the chamber, long sweeping robes melting into the surrounding shadows. His eyes glow red and a smirk adorns his face, sending a shudder down everyone in the room's spine.

The surreal demon sweeps towards the family, the muggleborn father shielding his children defiantly.

An even larger grim smile is now carved into the snake-like face, cowing the Death Eaters, who fight to keep from retreating. The two boys are sobbing against their mother, who is frozen in terror.

She has a hand on the man's arm and he gives her a quick kiss, followed by one on each of the boy's foreheads.

"I love you, darling. I love you, Josh, Michael."

The whisper is as loud as a yell, echoing around the cavernous room. I want to scream just to distract the horrible beast long enough for the family to escape, but my vocal cords had long since given out from the countless hours of screaming I had endured.

Finally, I manage something. A strange and raspy yell emerged from my throat, angry and desperate. Voldemort turns, his eyes blazing.

"Potter, what do you want? To save the family? To give them time to escape? To die?" His voice is as horrid as nails on chalkboard. I glare at him, glad I can do that at least.

I feel pathetic, the wall behind me the only thing that is keeping me up. I hide the feeling of panic rising in me and rasp out an answer, "A fight. Duel. I will duel you if you let them go. I will do anything for you, just release them."

He lets out a cold, high laugh. "You wish to duel me in your state, Potter? Why! That would be just unfair! Very well, give the boy his wand!" His endless red eyes are alight with amusement.

I grab my wand from a nearby Death Eater, feeling the familiar wood give me strength; a rush of power.

I stand, shaky and weak but defiant nonetheless.

He steps into the center of the room as the family scrambles to wall, huddling together.

I see this and my resolve solidifies. I will win this, even if it kills me.

He lets me send off the first spell, but I wait long enough that he sends one himself. The sickly yellow light comes at me and I step aside just in time. This happened a few times and Voldemort is tiring of this. He finally speeds up his firing pace and I see sweat forming on his brow. I am tempted to grin but it takes to much energy—energy I don't have.

I continue to dodge, not attacking at all. I am waiting for my moment. Voldemort angrily releases a series of powerful spells. They take down his Death Eaters except a cutting curse, which hits my left arm.

Thankful it wasn't my right, I don't pay the wound any mind.

He keeps firing, the curses more and more deadly. He is tiring and I prepare myself for the moment I had been waiting for.

He sends out three Killing curses in quick succession and I gather all the magic in my body. I dodge the spells and pull my magic, throwing the raw power at the beast in front of me who had destroyed so many.

A scream of pure agony rips from both of our throws, dancing like a morbid song, rining in everyone else's ears. I can't hear a thing but my own screaming and can't focus on anything but the pain.

My magic floods back into my body and I feel like I am drowning. My body convulses on the ground, writhing and twisting into unnatural shapes.

I can't breath and my muscles, though done writhing, still twitch in the remembrance of the agony. Shaking violently, I look up to see the family still against the wall, relief and terror written on their features plainly. The mother rushes over to me and I feel a cool hand on my neck, checking my erratic pulse.

I see no Death Eaters but can't find the ability to ask. Voldemort, too, is gone. The rest of the family hesitantly approach, the two boys clutching each other and following their father.

The father lifts me, saying something to his wife, who nods.

I am aware that I am still shaking and twitching. The father holds me close to his chest and suddenly we are being squeezed by a too-tight tube. I gasp for breath, feeling the drowning sensation again, but moments later I am being carried to a desk… then a stretcher… then a hospital bed…

My world fades to black and I no longer know anything of my surroundings.

Dizzy colors surround me and I hear someone yelling about my pulse…

All is once again black.

"His pulse is evening… magic levels still erratic…"

"He is conscious! No, we're losing him…"

"Get him stable…"

Random thoughts filter into my brain as I faze in and out.

"He's stable…"

OoOoO

**A/N: Well, um, yeah... see? a happy ending! I'm not a total pessimist...**


End file.
